Spotlight on Ukraine: EIT Manufacturing delivers Best Practice Classes on Innovation Policy for Authorities
21 February 2025
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Ukrainian policymakers and industry leaders are forging ahead with ambitious plans to revolutionise their manufacturing sector. To foster innovation and enhance the capabilities of public authorities, EIT Manufacturing organised the fourth edition of the Best Practice Classes on Innovation Policy for Authorities, specifically tailored to the needs of the Ukrainian ecosystem.
On 19-21 November 2024, the online event brought together an esteemed group of stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Institute for Economics and Forecasting NASU, the Regional Development Agency of Odesa Region and other key institutions shaping Ukraine’s research and innovation policy.
The Best Practice Classes (BPC) are part of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) programme. RIS initiative aims to boost innovation in emerging economies through tailored collaboration, funding and networking opportunities. This event series provides regional and national policymakers with insights on strengthening the design, implementation and assessment of their innovation policy mix for the manufacturing sector.
Strengthening the innovation capacity of Ukraine’s manufacturing industry
The BPC workshops equipped participants with a comprehensive toolkit for enhancing innovation ecosystems in Ukraine. Through best practices and strategies, the sessions offered insights into designing, implementing and evaluating innovation policies tailored to the country’s unique challenges and opportunities in the manufacturing industry.
This edition of the Best Practice Classes represents our commitment to empowering Ukrainian authorities with the tools and strategies necessary to drive innovation and resilience in the manufacturing sector. The shared knowledge and collaboration will undoubtedly strengthen Ukraine’s position within the European innovation ecosystem.
Dr Konstantinos Georgoulias, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs & Strategic Initiatives at EIT Manufacturing
The BPC training featured three intensive workshops, designed to address critical topics in the manufacturing sector, from finding the right strategy and methodology to foster innovation, developing favourable policies and regulations to accelerate the twin transition and adopting best practices to strengthen innovation ecosystems.
The first workshop gave the floor to Europe’s innovation networks and emphasised the importance of integrating Ukraine into the broader European innovation ecosystem. The sessions covered a variety of topics, including an introduction to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and EIT Manufacturing, as well as a discussion on skills development for the manufacturing industry. Keynote speakers included Massimo Gaudina, Policy Coordinator for the New European Innovation Agenda, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), European Commission, and Anna Taraczközi, Innovation Policy Officer at the EIT. The workshop also explored practical examples of alliances that foster innovation in the manufacturing sector.
Day two tackled the key aspects of modern manufacturing – the twin green and digital transitions that could help Ukrainian industries advance their innovation capacity and sustainability goals. Sessions provided insights into how to lead these transitions, featuring notable contributions from Dr Panagiota Tsarouchi, Head of EU Projects and Strategic Initiatives at EIT Manufacturing, and Hettel Varik, Legal and Policy Officer at Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), European Commission.
Martin Dan, Project Manager at Pannon Business Network, showcased the results of the DigiTwinGreen project launched to support startups and SMEs in their twin transition. The project developed a digital twin for a green production environment along with training material. While Kosmas Alexopoulos, Research Associate and Project Manager at the Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems and Automation (LMS) of the University of Patras, shared the highlights of the ARMM project aimed at boosting the efficiency and safety of machinery maintenance. The team enhanced project results using the latest emerging technologies to create a smart data collection platform based on the Internet of Things (IoT), a health assessment module for condition monitoring and remote assistance & support tools utilising Augmented Reality (AR). These examples offered actionable strategies for fostering innovation in local ecosystems.
The final day showed Ukrainian leading research and innovation institutions how to build bridges between their universities, businesses and government agencies – crucial connections for any thriving innovation ecosystem. Participants explored strategies for fostering collaboration between academia, industry and public authorities. Speakers such as Friedrich Kaasik, Head of Knowledge Transfer at the University of Tartu, Ionut Tata, Founder and CEO at Iceberg+, Krzysztof Lipiec, Director of Commercialisation Department at PIAP (Łukasiewicz Research Network – Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements), and Eden Dvir-Zano, Managing Director at the EIT Hub Israel, shared best practices on creating dynamic innovation ecosystems, supporting tech startups and advancing industrial automation through collaborative initiatives.
The enthusiasm and engagement of participants showcased the readiness of Ukrainian institutions to adopt innovative practices. We are proud to support their journey toward a more sustainable and competitive manufacturing sector.
Olga Trofymova, Country Manager for Ukraine at EIT Manufacturing
Delivering tailored support for Ukraine
Andriy Kishchynskyy, Project Manager of the Reform Support Team of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, one of the participants in the Best Practice Classes highlighted: “Ukraine’s manufacturing sector is undergoing significant transformation. There is a growing demand for innovation, particularly in automation, sustainable production and energy efficiency.” In this context, the BPC training provided valuable insights on a structured framework for analysing and improving innovation policies for the manufacturing industry, as well as understanding how the same challenges are addressed across different countries.
Ukraine’s manufacturing sector is undergoing significant transformation. There is a growing demand for innovation, particularly in automation, sustainable production and energy efficiency.
Andriy Kishchynskyy, Project Manager of the Reform Support Team of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine
The Best Practice Classes on Innovation Policy for Ukraine, organised by EIT Manufacturing, provided valuable insights into European innovation strategies and their application in Ukraine’s manufacturing sector. The deep dive into EU innovation policies and funding opportunities was particularly useful, helping to identify pathways for collaboration and sustainable growth.
Anastasiia Kravchenko-Uhrekhelidze, Project Manager at the Innovation Development Fund (Ukrainian Startup Fund) and Team Lead at the Seeds of Bravery
The impact of the Best Practice Classes could be far-reaching as Ukraine continues its path toward European Union integration. The participants are now well-equipped with the knowledge and solutions to transform Ukrainian manufacturing into a more competitive, sustainable and innovative force in Europe. By focusing on Ukraine’s specific needs, this edition of Best Practice Classes underscored the importance of contextualised solutions in driving impactful change within the manufacturing sector.